Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-15
SATURDAY, oCT"RER Is. 1897
A New Commercial Era.

A New Commercial Era.
For some time past much interest
has centered in the anticipated ar
rival of the first steamer owned in
Los Angeles. Last summer Mr.. Wal
ter s. Maxwell went to England for
the purpose of purchasing such ves-
sci. He was successful in his quest,
and the steamer has arrived. She
now lies alongside the wharf at San
Pedro, discharging miscellaneous
cargo from Cardiff, Wales. The ves-
sci, which is nearly new, is a fine, sea-
worthy one in all respects, model OF
the best naval architecture of the
day, and one OF the bravest crafts that
enter the ports of the Pacific coast.
She will be used to carry coal from
British Columbia to supply the Los
Angeles market.
The fact that the Southern Cali
fornia''-that is the name she is to be
known under-is owned entirely by
one of our citizens ushers in new era
in the history of our city. Maugre
all sneering doubts Of those who do not
care to know the fact, Los Angeles is
q maratime city. She lies, SO far as
her center OF business and population
goes, a few miles back from the coast,
but she has an excellent
harbor at San Pedro. She
will shortly have another at Port
Ballona, and later on she
will have perhaps better one than
either at Santa Monica. With such
h arbor facilities, and being the COM
mercial entrepot Of very rich and
wide area Of country, this is not to
be the only vessel whose home port is
the Angelic City. Others will soon be
led to follow the vigorous example of
Mr.. Maxwell in this matter OF carry
ing their own merchandise in their
own bottoms, Trade is getting into
such wide grooves hereabouts that
wholesale merchants handle goods
enough to keep a handy-sized
ship busy carrying their wares from
beyond seas. And the Southern
California's" arrival discloses the i'm
poytant fact that vessels Of consider
able tonnage can reach the wharf at
San Pedro, thus bringing ship and
car together at that point. The cap
tain Of this steamer states that his
vessel when fully laden will draw fiji
teen feet of water, and that he shall
have no trouble in reaching the wharf
as there Is more than enough water on
the bar and in the bay at all
STAGES of the tide. He does
not expect to be at the trouble and ex-
pense of lighterage at all. Such news
is cheering in the extreme. We here
have practical demonstration OF the
all important proposition that nature
has done enough for us in the way OF
harbor facilities to put our own future
in our own hands. But we are not to
achieve greatness in this respect with
out some struggle. San Diego has a
good harbor, and that active little city
will make the most of her advantages.
Naturally she has better shipping
facilities than are found at San
Pedro. But as an offset
she has little or no back country
capable OF supporting large popula-
ton, and she is one hundred miles
further than we are from the East.
A haul of one hundred miles, much
of it up grade either way you go, is
heavy handicap, and one which can
not be removed. Then there are
some indicati ons that great trans
continental railway corporation is to
be beh ind the City of Bay and
Climate with liberal backing to build
up her commerce. This is an advan-
tage San Pedro divides honors in
with her rival. Then we shall have
eventually three harbors competing
for trade instead of the one to the ac,
count of San Diego. San Pedro is
capable of great improvements still
and when these shall have beer
made, when Port Ballona shall hav,
been opened for the arrival OF sea-go
ing craft, and when Senator Jone
and his confreres in enterprise shall
have exploited at Santa Monica, w
shall have very great advan
tages in the line OF harbo
facilities. In this competition
we shall have tower OF strength. 4
bav SO limited as that of San Diego i!
may easily fall a prey to the rapacit.
of some great corporation. 1t will bt
more difficult for such an octopus tt
stretch his tentacles out over twenty
miles of coast and strangle three en-